Parties & Entertaining

Wedding Planning – Shower Dresses

| The Bee Life

Happy First Day of Spring!

As I am planning my wedding, I can’t help but try and find the perfect dresses for other wedding festivities, like the Bridal Shower, Bachelorette, and the Rehearsal! Since most of these festivities are in the spring/summer the clothes and options are starting to become endless and the decision is going to be tough!

Although I haven’t found my perfect dress(es) yet; I’ve pulled some looks that are serving as my inspiration, as there are a few different routes that I could go and you might be in the same boat!
Bridal Shower Dress Inpiration - the bee life
01 | 02 | 03 | 04

If you’re like me and already started your hunt, consider the following…

All White: This is definitely an easy way to go and a classic option, wearing all white at any one of these festivities keeps you as the bride and truly the focal point!

Make A Statement: With a bright color! Showing up in a bright pink or patterned dress will help keep the focus on you.  This might be a fun way to show off a bit of your personality too!

Know Your Venue: Is your shower/rehearsal a sophisticated backyard soiree? Or is it a casual setting at a family members house? Or maybe a tea party theme at a local country club? Be sure that you’re standing out but also dressing to your venue to keep the theme of the day/night on point.

Will You Wear It Again? Ask yourself this question as your picking out the dress. You’ll want to make sure you can wear it again for a date night,  the honeymoon, a friends shower or family function! That way you won’t feel so bad if you invest a little more money that you were planning!

Happy Shopping!

Skinny Mexican Casserole – The Recipe

| The Bee Life

The other night B wanted mexican food, and since we’ve especially buttoned down on our eating habits this past month, we opted to search for an easy recipe that we could make at home vs. opting for our usual choices, Chipotle, chips and salsa, or rice and beans. So we found this recipe, and adapted it, by cutting out some ingredients we didn’t want, OH and the tortillas.
skinny-casserole-recipe-the-bee-lifeWhat You’ll Need:
– Can of corn
– Can of black beans
– 2-chicken breasts (cooked and shredded)
– Half-onion chopped
– 3-garlic cloves
– Enchilada sauce
– Diced tomatoes with green chilies
– 9×13 pan
– Shredded cheddar cheese
– Cilantro for topping

Step-by-Step:
1. Cook your chicken breasts and shredded chicken once cooled; spread out evenly across the bottom of you 9×13 pan – this is your base!  Oh, and pre-heat your oven to 375.
2. Next, drain your corn and black beans and layer each one over the chicken.  Sprinkle your chopped onion evenly across with your garlic and then diced tomatoes.  Then take your enchilada sauce and evenly distribute across the top of your layers.  Lastly sprinkle cheddar cheese across the top.
3. Pop this in the oven for 25-minutes, wait to cool a bit and garnish with cilantro!  Salsa and guacamole also make great mixes to add as toppings to your dish.
4. Enjoy!
1We will definitely be making this dish again, it was so easy, filling and the perfect fix if you’re craving some Mexican food but want to skip on the tortilla and chips!

Baby Shower: Gift Guide

| The Bee Life

Sooo I don’t know about you, but there are a lot of babies coming into my 2017 world. Like a lot. And now that more friends are starting to have babies, I’ve started to think of more ways to give a special gift beyond the registry.
baby-shower-gift-guide-the-bee-life
Sources: Woodland Prints | Made in Cleveland Onesie | Tiffany’s Piggy Bank

Here are some different ideas to get you inspired to share the love and excitement for a sweet miracle coming into this world!

Nursery Decor: Figure out the theme for the babe’s new crib and find some wall art, clock or decor that’ll fit the space. A friend of mine is going for a woodland theme, so these watercolor animals from Society 6 are the perfect addition!

Local Onesie: This will be the perfect addition to this little ones new wardrobe and first clothes! Check Etsy if you don’t know any near you.

College Fund: If this is a close family member or friend, it might be great to go-in with some other family members and open up a college fund or get some savings bonds for the little one. Having this be an option for upcoming birthdays and holidays will not only help you but other family and friends in the future!

Of course buying a ton of adorable clothes, stuffed animals and cute little shoes, never gets old, but it’s fun to get more personalized, unique pieces that can make a personal touch to the space.

Six Dates.

| The Bee Life

It’s that time of the year again, and I’m back to share some unique ideas to switch up your normal Valentine’s Day routine – whether your single or dating!
six-dates-valentines-the-bee-lifeOne: Take a cooking class! This seems to be a popular date idea as of late, but having done this it would definitely be a bit more fun with a larger group of friends!  Most places also allow you to BYOW; so be sure to plan ahead and bring something that pairs well with your dinner.  B and I took a sushi making class, which was really great and unique – because it’s something that we probably would’ve never tried on our own!

Two: Paint and sip wine classes are another fun way to relax, be creative and try something new. Plus you can make this a group activity with a bunch of girlfriends or couples. If you don’t want to keep the painting, it could be a great gift for your mom or another friend! It’s a great way to get out and socialize especially with these colder winter days.

Three: Dinner at home with friends, potluck style. Help decide on a menu as a group and then pick a dish to bring. Pair it with some games, good wine/beer and company and you’ve got a fun night that is still different and unique but takes the pressure off of the big day!

Four: Take a fitness class together! Sign-up for a spin class or find a boot camp and start the morning off strong.  This is another way that you can work with a friend/partner to get you motivated to conquer your new year resolutions together.  Not to mention you won’t feel as guilty enjoying chocolate covered strawberries and champagne later in the night!

Five: Volunteering and giving back is the perfect way to share and give love to people or animals who might not be as fortunate.  Some different ideas to look into around your area are; donating/sorting books for children, volunteering at a local animal shelter, collecting can-goods or serving hot meals at a shelter, visiting the sick/elderly, or donating clothes!

Six: Make something! Whether this be big or small, you could make Valentine’s cards for family/friends, paint wooden picture frames for the house or find your latest Pinterest Hack to make! Looking for some ideas? Check out my pinterest board: Bee Creative.

Since Valentine’s Day is on a Tuesday, it might be harder to some of these specifically on the day, so get a jump start this weekend or the following! And last but not least, don’t forget to give a card to your honey, bestie, parents and friends!

XO

Cheers to 2017!

| The Bee Life

Happy New Year! Ringing in 2017 was an absolute blast! I cannot get over the fact that we’re already two-days in to the new year, and reality is finally starting to set-in after a nice, long, much needed holiday break.

Our New Year was spent with family, it’s always fun when my extended family Christmas lands on New Year’s Eve. For our family Christmas we always enjoy pork, sauerkraut and dumplings, presents, white elephant, pass the trash, LRC, and this year we added in a few other fun games like the mitten present game (made famous by the internet). Oh, and add in about six dogs, a handle of Titos, 22 people and six bottles of champagne, beer and you’ve got one helluva night, let alone New Year’s.

nye_3
2017 – I cannot wait to see what you bring, I know you’ll be full of firsts, amazing moments, lots of laughs, I’m sure a few challenges and tears. Coming from a year with no expectations, that was unbelievably amazing I can only imagine what this year will be like.


Cheers to you, cheers to 2017!

Bee Holiday Hacks – Shop Local

| The Bee Life

My latest holiday hack is to help with any last minute shopping you may have. It will help you avoid long annoying lines, super rude people, maybe some traffic and will keep you close to home.  What is it you ask? Shop Local!
bee-holiday-hacks-shop-local-the-bee-life(And for all my 216 readers, I’ve got a few local ideas for you!)

The Local T-Shirt Company: Whether this is a present for someone close or out of state, share your local love or the 2016 NBA Championship – grab a sports specific shirt or just a classic 216 for your loved ones.
216 Shout Out: GV Artwork || CLE Clothing Co.

The Local Restaurant: Give the gift of good food and a nice night out, especially for friends who might be saving for a wedding, have a new baby or just like to go out and try new places! Consider a spot with other destinations around like a downtown area, museums or theater district.   Pair this gift card with a bottle of wine you won’t disappoint.

The Local Clothing Boutique: Grab some fun accessories or a cute dress for the fashionista’s in your life – smaller boutique’s in your area will have unique pieces that can’t typically be found in larger department stores, plus the fabric and quality are amazing!
216 Shout Out: Wandering Wardrobe  || Banyan Tree

The Local Print Shop: This is another way to share some local custom love and hometown flair and is perfect for someone who might’ve moved away or new homeowners. You can find a lot of custom options on Etsy (maybe plan ahead next year) so get on instagram and find some local shops that have awesome local pieces!
216 Shout Out: Cuyahoga Collective || Foundry Woodprints 

A Local Experience: Find a local pottery shop or painting studio, even consider a spot for cooking classes or a bed and breakfast for a day trip or quick getaway.  This will be a present that can be used later in the season at the receivers will

The Local Sweet Spot: Looking to bring a part of your city home for the holidays? Find a local spot that has sweets like popcorn, cookies or other sweet treats and get there early to grab some goodies and snacks to bring home!
216 Shout Out: Campbell’s Sweets

Hopefully your last minute shopping is close to home and easy these next few days as you prep for the big day!  And if you’re celebrating with family after the 25th – don’t rush and spread out your shopping to take advantage of some after Christmas sales and supporting local small businesses!

Happy Shopping Local!

Winter Weekends – Parties

| The Bee Life

Christmas parties are in full swing as we are nearly 1-week from the big day! And after this past weekend, I am exhausted although super excited and ready for the Christmas holiday and break.

Thursday kicked-off the start of our holiday parties, starting with my first work holiday party with my new company! It was hosted at a new hip speakeasy, called Magnolia- it’s front is a doughnut and coffee shop, and it smells amazing! With the lights up, and elegant decor this club turned into a cozy and intimate party!

Saturday night, was party number 2 and we hosted! We had a house full of near and dear neighbors and friends.  The premise was to be a game night, mainly playing LRC and then my family’s card game, Pass The Trash all for some extra cash, but the games were a minimum, since everyone was busy chatting, catching up and laughing, snacking and sipping.

Christmas Ale and champagne were the drinks of choice! The ladies were shipping champagne to celebrate, one of my besties A, who got engaged on Friday – YAY!!! I also had my signature party favor – jello shots with pop-rocks. For food, our neighbors killed it with homemade popcorn and bourbon meatballs, along with your standard party snacks. We also did a white elephant ornament exchange which was rather tame but still funny, the highlight ornaments were a framed high-school photo of one of our neighbors, airplane bottles taped together with a hook, and a handmade wooden snowman!
winter-weekends-parties_2winter-weekends-parties_3winter-weekends-parties_4Come Sunday, we were both pretty spent and partied out. But now it’s just a few short days of work until a much needed, holiday break with family!

Cheers!

Little Beers – The Recipe

| The Bee Life

Happy Friday!  Although I am not the biggest fan of shots, there are a few shots that I kind of love, the Little Beer included.
little-beer-recipe-the-bee-lifeIt may be silly, but Little Beers remind me of family and the holidays (because that’s what my family does at the holidays *smiles*). Not to mention it’s super smooth, a little sweet, they’re pretty darn cute, oh and super easy to make!

What You’ll Need:
– Shot or small tasting glasses
– Licor 43
– Cream

Step-by-Step:
1. Pour the Licor 43 into your shot glass, leave some room a the top.
2. Top off with cream – watch the magic happen!
3. Cheers, table tap, and enjoy!

If you have an upcoming holiday party or looking to spice up your family’s Christmas grab these two ingredients and it’ll be a hit – we can usually talk most of the aunts and cousins into these since they’re so delicious and smooth!

Cheers!!

Mom’s Chili – The Recipe

| The Bee Life

Looking for something easy and low-key to through in the crock-pot this weekend so you’re relaxing or getting things done around the house? Well have no fear, my mom’s chili recipe is here; with some of my modifications for any of you vegetarians out there.

moms-chili

What You’ll Need:
– Ground beef (or turkey!) – 90% lean
– Half an onion – chopped
– 2 Cans of beans
– 1, 20-oz. can of tomato sauce
– 1, 20-oz. can of diced tomato
– Chili powder package or seasoning
– Other spices for flavor

Toppings:
 – Shredded cheese
– Sour cream
– Cilantro chopped
– Tostito’s scoops
– Cornbread

Step-by-Step:
 – Cook the ground beef and onions on flat top until browned
– Put call canned ingredients in pot and add the cooked beef and onions.  Stir together, place on stove or in crockpot  on low and cook for next 2-hours (or longer).  Stir frequently.
– Serve in a big bowl with your favorite toppings

If you want to do a vegetarian route switch out the ground meat with some cooked mushrooms, you can also add some chickpeas to the mix to add some color to your chili! The toppings are also key, I recently discovered cilantro as a topping – it’s such a game changer!

Happy Fall Y’all!